Manually actuated valve with safety fitting



G. J. HENRY 2,608,201

MANUALLY ACTUATED VALVE WITH SAFETY FITTING Flled Dec 15 1945 INVENTOR.64g Jflera/y, BY 7 MM M Aug. 26, 1952 Patented Aug. 26, 1952 UNITEDSTATES PATENT MAM-Jenny AGTUATED VALVE wrrn sar -Err FITTING Guy.JrHenry, Arlington Heights, Ill. hpp'licationifiecemhcr 15, 1945,;SerialNo.'635,'1 89 This invention relates to improvements in valves, inparticular to a three-port valve havine primary utility in a refrigerantsystem, irr'associ ation with the liquid refrigerant receiver betweenthe condenser and. the expansion-valve-and coil. 7

It isanobject of the invention re provide a valve for refrigerant-orlike fluid compression systems which embodies'in a single-unit novelmeans for performing plural functions of" admitting andcontrolling exitof the refrigerantor working fluid rromthe'recei-ver, as-we'llassafeguarding the system during operation; which functions haveheretofore been performed" by'a plurality of separate installations.

A further object is to provide a simple, inexpensive and readily appliedvalve which, when associated with the standard dip tube of arefrigerant' or related fluid receiver, servesto provide separatedintake and discharge chambersfor incoming and withdrawn liquid, with a.rupturable and/or fusible blow-out element insuring safety at all timesin the operation of the-receiver and associated system.

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general wayof the nature oftheinvention, but other and more specific objects will be apparent tothose skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the constructionand operation of the device.

Various-embodiments-of the invention are presented herein for thepurpose ofexemplificati'on,

but it will be appreciated that the invention. is susceptible ofincorporation in other modified forms coming equally within. the scopeof" the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig; 1 is an enlargedv fragmentary view in. sec tion illustrating theimproved multi-port valve of this invention operatively associated witha tank, refrigerant receiver or like pressure container; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views illustrating modified or alternativeforms or: ruptur-able and/ or fusible elements adapted to be associatedwith the valve in substitution for the corresponding element shown inFig. 1.

In the usual construction. of refrigerant receiver tanks to whichliquid. refrigerant is returned from the. condenser,, separate fitting-sor It is desirable to: provide a:

pressure relief element in the line'; prefer-ably in association withthe receiver, to 'insure sa'fety under excessive pressure conditionswhich may arise in the operation of the system, andtoithis end it hasbeen proposed to incorporate such a ruptu-rable or fusible"- element inone or another of the'several' standard liquidinlet and dischargefittings.

By the present invention I provide a'multiport valve which; is primarilyintended for association with a refrigerant-receiver 'as-asingle valveunit, in which'the unit is mounted'fi u xtaposition to and incommunication with the conventional liquid discharge dip tube ofthereceiver and'in which said di i tuhe coacts with the valve unitinproviding separated inlet and discharge chambers in a novel manner. A'rupturable and/orfusibl'e blow-out element'is constructed-as a part ofsaid valve unitin such manner that the receiverandsystem as a whole-areprotected from undue pressure in the receiver; or from undue heatgenerated inoperation; Whi'le features of the invention are well adaptedfor use in connection with-storage tanks or containers other thanrefrigerant receivers; it is'i'n fc'onnection with thelatter" that thevalve unithas demonstrated marked advantages; therefore; the valve willbe 'describedin that setting; 1

Referring to the drawings, thereferenc'e numeral +0 in generaldesignatesastandardrefrigi erant receiver having a hollow idip itubel'lextending therein'to beneath the: surface or liquid therein for-thewithdrawal "of such liquid from the receiver when required, ascontrolled by the valve unit iii-question.

Thevalve of the invention. is designated 1'2, consisting of avhousin'g"l3: ada ted atits lower end to hesecured with a pressure-tights'ealiinanaperture' l"5* at the topof the" receiver I'll. With slightmodification this connection may hemad'e at any other appropriate ointon the'receiver other than the top" thereof.

The valve 'housingl3 is axially bored" to' ib-I vide a cylindricallower'inlet chamber [.61offsuhistantial diameter and axial length; A-restricted cylindrical throat IT coaxially communicating with thechamber lfi -serves-toconncdtthatchamher, normalcperaticn, with anupper'counterhored discharge-chamher-ltr The-dip tube It is. fixedlysecured at its-upper endinthe-t-hroat 3 which leads from below theliquid level to throat I1 and upper discharge chamber I8 in the valvehousing. A restriction IT in throat I! serves as an upper stop for tubeI I in the assembly thereof. A discharge pipe I9 leading to therefrigerator expansion valve and evaporator coil is in communicationwith chamber I8 above throat II, which latter serves as a seat for avalve member 20. Member is a shut-off valve, having'a stem 2I which isthreadedly engaged at 22 with the inner wall of the valve housing andextending upwardly above the top of the latter. The housing isexternally threaded coaxially of the stem at. 1

23 for the reception of a closure or protective cap 24, with a washer orgasket 24' interposed, and the top of the stem '2I is shaped at 2 I toreceive a wrench or like actuating tool for the opening and closing ofvalve 20. A leak-proof seal along stem 2| is attained by means of a softmetal packing collar I4 surrounding the stem and is axially and radiallycompressed around the stem, against a conical faced ring llflby acompression nut I4" telescoped on the stem and threaded internally inthe housing. It will be understood that valve 20 is normally open todischarge liquid from conduit I I to the'coil of the system, but isclosed against throat I! when it is desired to shut off the system.

A threaded rupturable and/or fusible blow-out element- 25 is replaceablyassociated with the valvein a tapped opening26 which-communicates withthe annular inlet chamber I6 at a point diametrically opposite an inletfitting 21 opening to said chamber, This fittingis secured in the-valvehousing by a soldered force fit and will in operation be communicated bya liquid flow line with the refrigerant condenser of the system. I

In operation, condensed liquid flows through the inlet fitting andannular chamber I6 to be collected in the receiver and withdrawn there-1 from to the expansion valve through the dip tube II and a connectingline including throat I7, chamber I8 and pipe I9. Receivers of thetypeunder consideration normally operate atpressures in the neighborhood of175 pounds per squareinch; and should the pressure in the receiver I0rise dangerously above that value, the blow-out element 25 is designedto yield and relieve the excess of pressure. Said element, in theembodiment shown in Fig. 1, takes the form of an integral, molded metalor plastic element having a central, thin, membrane-like wall 28 on theside toward chamber I6 which is relatively weak and adapted to yield tothe excess pressure. The thickness and area of this wall will vary inaccordance with the strength of the particular material employed, thesebeing matters which are readily ascertainable by those skilled in theart. Likewise, provisions other than a relatively thin wall may beincorporated in element 25 to impart rupturability. If desired, thematerial of the element 25 may also be of thermally fusible character,melting at and above a predetermined maximum temperature to relievepressure and halt operation of the system.

In Fig. 2 I illustrate a modified embodiment of blow-out element,generally designated 29, which may be employed in substitution for theelement 25 of Fig. 1. In this form there is provided a fitting 30 whichmay have a press and soldered fit at one end in the valve housing I3 atthe same location as the element 25. A hollow nut-like clamping tip 3|is threaded on the opposite end of the fitting to clamp therebetween theseparate cap-like rupturable and/0r fusible blow-out element 32. Thelatter has a frusto-conical annular skirt 33 engageable betweencorrespondingly shaped surfaces on the fitting and clamping nut for thispurpose; and will be stamped from an adequately thin gauge of sheetmetal, molded from a plastic, or otherwise fabricated. A material may beemployed which will soften and rupture at a predetermined maximumtemperature and pressure condition.

In Fig. 3 1 illustrate a further special and highly effective, modifiedembodiment of blow-out element, in the form of an integral, one-piecefitting 34 of plastic or metal of the desired qualities.

- This fitting is threaded at 35 for reception in the valve body and hasan outwardly curved or convex, relatively thin, membranous blow-out wall36 on the end thereof opposite the valve body in the operative positionof the fitting. An integral annular rib or bead 3'I surrounds the member36, projecting axially outwardly beyond the same, so as to serve as aprotective bumper or shield for the latter, safeguarding the samefromaccidental rupture.

It is to be understood that Icontemplate the use of a rupture-elementfor the purpose of safeguarding the receiver I 0, or a system with whichit is associated, from the effect of either excessive pressure orexcessive temperature, orboth, 'as circumstances may require.- Hence,when the terms frupture and rupturable or their equivalent are,employedin the claimsto follow, they shouldbeconstrued to cover an element whichis yieldable due to mechanical or structural failure, as under excesspressure, or by fusing or destruction under excessive temperature, orunder the effect of both phenomena. Y

I claim:

l. A valve comprising a hollow valve body having an internal valvechamber, a further chamber spaced from said valve chamber in axialalignment therewith and openingv to the exterior of said body, and apassage communicating said chambers with one another, a straight tubularelement extendingthrough said further chamber and terminating gexternally thereof, said element being in sealed communication withoneend of said'passage to provide inner and .outer supply and dischargespaces within said further chamber on opposite sides of the Wall of saidtubular element, said passage terminating at its opposite end in a valveseat coaxial with said tubular element and facing said valve .chamber, ashut-off valve threadedly engaged with said body for movement in saidvalve chamber coaxially'of the latter and saidtubular element and intoand out of engagement with said valve seat, thereby controlling saidpassage, said body having an inlet port opening to said outer space ofsaid further chamber and a discharge port through theside wall ofsaidvalve chamber, and a replaceabl'e, readily rupturable elementcarried by said body in exposed relation to said outer chamber space. lV

2. A valve construction comprising a hollow tubular body sub-dividedinternally to provide a valve chamber and a further chamber in axialalignment with said valve chamber which opens to the exterior of thebody, said body being provided with an axial passage adapted tocommunicate said chambers, which passage terminates atone end in anannular valve seat facing said valvechamber, a straight tubular elementextending axially through said further chamber and terminatingexternally thereof, said tubular element being in sealed communicationwith the end of said passage opposite said valve seat and serving tosub-divide said further chamber into concentric inner and outer spaces,said body having ports through the side wall thereof openingrespectively to said valve chamber and to the outer space of saidfurther chamber, and a shut-01f valve member threadedly engaging saidbody for movement in said valve chamber coaxially of the latter and saidtubular element and into and out of sealing engagement with said valveseat.

GUY J. HENRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Collier Mar. 11, 1879 De RyckeFeb. 9, 1897 Bernstein Nov. 29, 1910 Spahn Nov. 20, 1928 Hausmann Dec.3, 1929 Weatherhead Aug. 22, 1933 White Oct. 17, 1939 Punte July 14,1942' Paquin et al. Nov. 30, 1943 Sundstrom Feb. 15, 1944 McKeague Mar.6, 1945

